While MS Dhoni's 34-ball 70 for Chennai Super Kings against Royal Challengers Bangalore left coach Stephen Fleming gobsmacked, it made the great Viv Richards believe the that the good-old Mahi is back. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 match between RCB and CSK saw a record 33 sixes being hit for the first time in an IPL match, with Dhoni himself smacking 7 of them.

No better sight than seeing MS Dhoni smashing bowlers out of the park, isn't' it? The former Indian skipper, back leading the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is producing performances that see the Southern franchise sit atop of the points table. While many had discounted him from producing the performances that made him one of the most efficient finishers in the game, but the 'Thala' produced the sort of knock against Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) that shook the entire cricketing world. While his 34-ball 70 left coach Stephen Fleming gobsmacked, it made the great Viv Richards believe the that the good-old Mahi is back.

The innings against Kohli's RCB was certainly a 'Dhoni special' and even CSK coach Fleming was of the same opinion. The former New Zealand skipper admitted that the whole dressing room was stunned with the way Mahi finished the innings at the Chinnaswamy. “It was (a Dhoni special). It is amazing when players experience it in this team for the first time. We’ve got players here who’re absolutely gobsmacked with the way in which he’s finished that game. His ability to let balls go for wide, the presence of mind to be staying in the now, it never ceases to amaze,” the Kiwi was quoted as saying by TOI.

Even the great Vivian Richards, who is far from the world of T20s, admitted that Dhoni looked back to his best in the match against the Royal Challengers.

“Dhoni was back to his best with the bat again, carrying the entire hope of his team and the fans on his shoulder in the final overs of the game. He and Ambati (Rayudu) played brilliantly to set the tone for the chase, which would have even inspired DJ (Bravo) to have the belief when he walked in. The Chennai skipper, unlike his Mohali entry, started instantly in Bangalore, which was a sign that he is still the player to watch out for, despite the criticisms he has recently received,” the West Indian legend wrote in his column for TOI.

Further hailing the Dhoni for his calm and composed approach, Richards highlighted how it was the Jharkhand-born wicket-keeper batsman's mentality that took CSK home in a thrilling fixture.

“The man, as always, kept his cool to push his team over the line in a thrilling game which always has been the case when these two sides have met in the past.”

The match between RCB and CSK saw a record 33 sixes being hit for the first time in an IPL match, with Dhoni himself smacking 7 of them.